Thursday, May 26, 2016

The Best Father's Day Gift Ever (+ $50 Snapfish Gift Card Giveaway!)

Let me start out by saying that I realize calling something "The Best Father's Day Gift Ever" means it must be pretty freaking amazing. And while the early Dad's Day gift we designed and gave to my husband wasn't, like, a trip around the world or a new luxury car, Robbie told us that it was, indeed, the best Father's Day gift ever. And we believe him.

As my regular readers know, a little over two years ago, Robbie became a dad for the first time, and a few months ago, the second time. He also works full time as the Stage Manager for a band - and is on the road for over half the year. In fact, he had to leave for a several month tour with only weekly quick stops at home when our baby boy was only 2 weeks old. I am very proud of what a hard worker he is and how great he is at his job, and I'm thankful that we're able to be so supportive of each others' unique careers. But it's not always an easy life for the kids and me - or for him. He has to miss a lot of "firsts," a lot of holidays and important events, and the day-to-day family life that most probably take for granted. I have to say though, he more than makes up for any absence or sacrifice by legitimately being the most incredible father to our kids. The love and bond they share simply cannot be taken away by the limited time he has with them. He goes above and beyond - from dress-up tea parties in tiaras with our daughter, to story times that turn into hours, to many all-nighters spent semi-sleeping in a chair rocking a babe during the newborn months, to multiple daily park trips, to an almost infinite number of other wonderful things he does. I feel very lucky that Robbie is the person to help me raise Essley and Emmett. I am so, so grateful.

For this Father's Day, I wanted to come up with an idea for a gift for Robbie that was sentimental, and would show just how much we appreciate him, while still being his style. We tend to get each other practical gifts (aka gift cards) which is all well and good, but I felt like for his first Father's Day as a daddy of two we needed to step it up. The perfect gift would be something personal, inspired by his journey into parenthood over the last few years, from the time I got pregnant with Essley through the present. It was also really important to me for it to be something he could bring with him on the road - something he could look at when he missed us and be instantly reminded of the great times we share when we're together. I thought long and hard about this. And then it hit me. A beautiful, high-quality photo book from Snapfish, with touches that reflected his style aesthetically and told our story as a family - and that he could pack in his bag when it was time to go on tour - would be the ultimate Father's Day Gift.

Making the book was such a fun project (I actually laughed and teared up during the process, multiple times). I decided to go with an 11 x 14 book with the LayFlat Hard Cover, then entered the Snapfish project space. I uploaded my photos (a ton of them) from my computer (you can also upload from Facebook or Instagram), then played around with text/sentiments, embellishments, backgrounds, and designer layouts, etc. to create a one-of-a-kind gift for our one-of-a-kind dad/husband. Robbie's style is simple and he loves dark neutrals, so I used a charcoal color for the cover and half of the inside pages. For the other pages I used the "Family Man" layout's wood grain design. I chose embellishments from "Family Man" as well for some of the book, and the "Create Your Own" option for the rest so I could design some of it from scratch. I went with a simple font for the captions. Essley got in on the action too and helped me choose which photos to use - from the first ultrasound of her through my pregnancy, her birth, my pregnancy with Emmett, his birth, and all our adventures in between, up until now. I focused on including as many pictures as possible with Robbie and kids, being silly and having fun and just loving one another.

We decided to give Robbie the gift early so he could start enjoying it and be able to take it on the road with him right away. And truth be told, I couldn't wait until Father's Day once I saw it in person. It's really gorgeous you guys. The quality is stellar (I am so in love with the lay flat hard cover), the pictures are crisp and vibrant, and it genuinely looks like a professional quality coffee table book you'd pick up at a high end boutique. Essley helped me wrap it up and we gave it to him after dinner the other night. Now my husband is not one of those people who bursts into tears at the sight of something sentimental. But I definitely spotted the glimmer of watery eyes when he unwrapped it and saw the front cover (the first photo taken on the four of us, on the day Emmett was born). We all piled onto the oversized chair in our living room and spent some time looking through it together. It was pretty awesome watching him crack up over funny and ridiculous memories and smile over the sweet ones. And like I said, he officially declared the photo book "the best Father's Day gift ever." So I think we did good.

One thing I've noticed with my own husband and with friends who are fathers is how today's dad seems to be more engaged than ever before with the kids, and is ultimately redefining what it means to be a father. And I think this is a source of pride for them (as it should be!). So really, what better way to show appreciation for that than with a personalized Father's Day gift that showcases their relationships with their children? If you're on the look out for something truly special, checked out Snapfish's options for creating personalized photo gifts for Father's Day this year (or for any occasion where you want to show gratitude). I'm so thrilled with the way ours turned out, and even moreso by how much Robbie loves it.

And now for the giveaway! Snapfish is giving away one of thirty-five $50 product codes so you can create your own personalized gift (or whatever you'd like!). To enter, just use the entry form below. There are several ways to enter.

a Rafflecopter giveaway
The giveaway is open to US residents ages 18+ (only one winner per household, please), and runs through June 10th at 9pm PT. Winners will be randomly selected and notified by Snapfish by June 17th. Good luck! And happy Fathers Day!

Thank you for supporting the brands that help make Bubby and Bean possible. I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

The book you made is so beautiful and it looks like your husband loved it. A dad moment in our house that I appreciate is when my husband comes home from work early and surprises us. The girls are thrilled and it makes me smile.

When I was a little girl my Dad would travel to Mexico to work M-F and he would arrive very late on Friday. I had a father daughter dance on a Friday and I had thought he would not be able to make it. He had left Mexico early and showed up early to surprise me and take me to the dance! I will never forget how loved I felt at that moment.

My favorite memory with my dad is when he took me fishing for the first time. We went with my grandpa. The three of us would go together several times a year. My grandpa would tell me stories about the war and his childhood. I will always treasure those memories.